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Entries from September 2014

September 30, 2014

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein

A news article about the PBS series called “Shelter Me” has appeared recently in a number of venues including the Huffington Post. The TV series is produced and directed by Steven Latham and generally has shown uplifting stories of shelter pet adoptions and the wonderful bond between adopted pets and their human guardians. It has the tag line “Improving Lives, One Shelter Pet at a Time.” I am all for that.

The Richmond SPCA transferred Lori into its care in May from Prince George Animal Control. She is currently available for adoption.

But the recent news article indicates that Latham believes that pets at public shelters should “get priority.” It quotes him as saying that pets at open admission shelters “need our help the most.” Then, the article goes down the path of bashing organizations that embrace the no-kill philosophy and quotes Kelly Miott of Long Beach Animal Care Services, an organization that Latham is promoting on the series, as saying, “Euthanasia is a fact of life. We are what the no-kill people are trying to get rid of.” Well.

I am certainly one of the “no-kill people” and I am not trying to get rid of Ms. Miott or her organization but I am most definitely trying to get rid of euthanasia of healthy and treatable homeless animals in this country. Is that a bad thing? Shouldn’t every single person in the field of animal welfare be trying to do that too?

I understand and appreciate the effort of the PBS series to help animals in public shelters find good homes. But I am mystified as to why those pets deserve “priority.” The truth is that no-kill organizations like ours will bring another pet into our care from a public shelter where his or her life is at risk just as soon as one gets adopted from us thereby opening up a space for that other pet in need to come in. So, there is no logic to the statement that the animals in public shelters (I think this is their code for ones that euthanize) deserve priority. All homeless pets are equally deserving and every adoption saves a life.

Healy was transferred from the Danville Area Humane Society to the Richmond SPCA's humane center on Sept. 17. He was adopted to a loving home on Sept. 29.

The point has been reached in all of this heated back and forth about euthanasia of healthy and treatable pets when I believe something needs to be said and I am going to have the courage to say it. Both the Richmond SPCA and I personally do not believe that taking the lives of healthy or treatable companion animals is ethical. I don’t engage in behaviors that I believe are not ethical and I am proud that my organization is not going to do something that we believe to be unethical. I am a private person and the Richmond SPCA is a private organization and so we get to make those choices. I don’t appreciate any effort to make us feel that we are somehow avoiding some duty to participate in ending lives. There is no duty to participate. But there is a duty to work to change our society.

The euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals was undertaken in this country for reasons of financial and practical expediency with a disregard of the moral issues. As there were more homeless dogs and cats in the 20th century than the shelters they were in could find homes for, and society was not compassionate enough or progressive enough to fund other approaches, shelters resorted to taking their lives to reduce their numbers. It was a coldly logical but not ethical approach. It has now become something that much of the public seems to accept as a given and does not question in moral terms. But, they should. We all should. We all know that there are other ways to approach the issue – spaying and neutering, stopping the breeding of more pets when there are shelter pets in need of homes, always acquiring pets from shelters, providing pet retention support programs and affording adequate budgets to public shelters so that they can provide needed veterinary care for treatable animals. We must demand that these are the approaches used.

I recognize that people who work for public shelters are limited in how many pets they can save by the amount of money appropriated by their local governments to their annual budgets. I am not blaming them for this state of affairs. Nor do I or the Richmond SPCA have any quarrel with the euthanasia of pets that are untreatably sick or injured and suffering or ones that present a material threat to human or animal safety.

Vargas is available for adoption at the Richmond SPCA after being transferred to its Robins-Starr Humane Center on Aug. 29 from Richmond Animal Care and Control.

But I will not accept that euthanasia of the healthy and treatable ones is a “fact of life.” No, it is a choice that our society is making and it could make another, far more ethical choice if it wanted to spend the money on shelter budgets and push people to be more socially responsible in how they acquire new pets. The number of dogs and cats dying in shelters has declined dramatically in this country in recent years since these approaches have become more prevalent. That is proof that it is possible to get the whole way to ending the killing of any homeless animals but the ones that are untreatable.

I hope that those, like Mr. Latham and his PBS series, who prioritize promoting the adoption of pets in public shelters that euthanize healthy and treatable animals are also pressuring the localities to provide enough funding to allow those shelters to save the lives of more healthy and treatable animals. I hope they are pushing their communities and our society to stop accepting euthanasia as a fact of life and understand that we all have a personal role in engaging in the behaviors that could end all this killing. I hope that they believe, and are acknowledging clearly and publicly, that euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter pets is not a morally acceptable solution for a matter that has other solutions and involves very real and precious lives.

We should not be just the caretakers of these innocent animals whose lives are at risk; we must be their advocates. For decades in the 20th century, most people in the animal welfare field passively accepted that their communities would not provide the resources to save the lives of the healthy and treatable homeless animals. They facilitated the massive loss of life even though it broke their hearts. We must stop being compliant and complicit. We must hold the unethical nature of this approach up in front of our communities and pressure them hard to change how they treat homeless animals and how they devalue their lives. Euthanasia of healthy and treatable homeless animals is not a fact of life. It is a tragedy and a moral outrage.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires both your first and last name to be used as your screen name.

September 24, 2014

As the retail and procurement manager at the Richmond SPCA, I spend a lot of my time with my eyes glued to a computer monitor researching dog and cat toys and supplies. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but because I very much have a Type-A personality, I often ache to do more. While walking through the adoption lobby and looking into the many furry faces awaiting loving homes, I began thinking – how can I, a retail-focused employee, help to better the lives of these precious pets?

A few days ago, I came up with the idea that the Richmond SPCA Gift Shop would donate a toy to a homeless pet for every online order we receive. With the help of our communications manager, Caroline Radom, we posted about this effort on Facebook. Thanks to the generosity of those who placed orders on our online store, I made some new four-legged friends.

It was awesome to see an adorable kitten, Mario, bat around his brand-new rattle mouse toy. The real joy, however, was giving a toy to Gina, a 12-year-old Boston Terrier. I’ll admit that I don’t take enough time to love on the pets in our building. I’m a big baby, and I occasionally find it difficult to grow attached to a pet only to have to say goodbye when they find a loving home. This morning, though, when I gave Gina her new toy and at first she just wanted to snuggle up in my lap…it made my heart melt. She climbed up into my lap, rested her head in the crook of my elbow and let out a contented little sigh. It absolutely made my morning. After snuggle time, I showed Gina how the treat-dispensing toy worked, and she totally went to town on it; she loves it, which makes the whole experience very rewarding.

Now through the end of September you can provide a toy to a homeless pet by shopping at www.richmondspcagiftshop.org and I will be happy to post pictures on our shop’s Facebook page of these pets enjoying their new toys! I also hope that these photos will help pets like Gina to find permanent, loving homes. You can help by shopping on our online store, spreading the word about this effort, or by stopping in to the Richmond SPCA to visit with the pets in our care.

Click here for more info about Gina. She is truly made of sweetness, adores cuddling, and will love you – wholeheartedly – if you give her the chance. All proceeds from purchases directly benefit the orphaned pets in our shelter.

Can’t shop online? Stop into our shop at 2519 Hermitage Road, mention this story to our sales associate, and we’ll make sure a pet awaiting adoption receives a special toy.

Abby Waller is the retail and procurement manager at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

September 23, 2014

We are thrilled that 66 pets were adopted last week! We are so grateful to our amazing staff and volunteers for their wonderful help uniting these pets with new, loving families. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Adoption Specials

Back by popular demand! We know that everything is better with a best friend so we've extended our Take Two adoption special, which means you can adopt any two felines for one adoption fee this September. We can't wait to help you meet the perfect pets for your home.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently available at our humane center, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

September 15, 2014

We are extremely excited that 91 pets were adopted last week! We are so grateful to our amazing staff and volunteers for their wonderful help uniting these pets with new, loving families. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Adoption Specials

Back by popular demand! We know that everything is better with a best friend so we've extended our Take Two adoption special, which means you can adopt any two felines for one adoption fee this September. We can't wait to help you meet the perfect pets for your home.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently available at our humane center, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

September 12, 2014

Editor's note: We recently received a wonderful update about Sansa, a beautiful black cat who was adopted by her guardian, Jordan, in February of 2013. We are thrilled that Sansa is the perfect fit for her family and wish this family many happy years together.

Dear Richmond SPCA,

It’s been a year and a half since I first saw a picture of Sansa (formerly known as Catalina) on the Richmond SPCA's website, and when I saw her picture, I knew it was meant to be. The cat that I had grown up with had passed away a few months before I adopted Sansa, and while I was a bit hesitant to adopt a new cat, when I saw Sansa's picture, I told my mom, “That’s the one. Don't ask why - I just know she's the one.” A few days later I adopted Sansa and in the past year, she has done a complete 180 and transformed from a nervous, shy cat to a lively, curious and affectionate companion. She loves to explore our house and was quick to get along with the other furry, four-legged creatures in our house. Though Kodi, our dog, still isn’t quite sure what to think of Sansa, Sansa absolutely adores Kodi. Sansa has also become good friends with Delroy, our other cat, and it’s rare to see one without the other close by.

Over the past year, Sansa has also discovered that she loves watching TV, bird watching and chasing any bug that manages to get into our house. She also loves playing with her Kong cat-treat toy. Perhaps her favorite things to play with are feather wands, and she’s proven to be quite the acrobat when chasing them. When she’s not exploring, chasing bugs or playing with her various toys, Sansa enjoys curling up in various window-seats in the house and either napping or watching the world outside.

Perhaps the best thing my family and I have discovered about Sansa is that despite the fact that she’s a small cat, she’s got a huge personality. It didn’t take long for her to discover the power of her meow, and I've learned that she has a different meow for everything from wanting food to wanting affection. In fact, when she wants to be, she can be quite the chatty cat and will hold conversations with you if you talk back to her. If meowing doesn’t get your attention when she wants it, Sansa will also reach up and tap you with her paw. She’s also a very affectionate cat, and while she’s not a huge fan of being picked up and cuddled, she’ll gladly crawl in your lap if you sit on the floor and invite her over. She loves it when you scratch the back of her neck, behind her ears and under her chin, and will sometimes use her paws to move your hand to where she wants to be rubbed.

Sansa has been the perfect addition to my life as well as our family’s household, and everyone who meets her absolutely adores her and often can’t stop talking about her and her curly tail (yes, she has a curly tail!) Words cannot adequately express how thankful I am to the Richmond SPCA for rescuing her and subsequently uniting the two of us. I love Sansa so much and am looking forward to many happy years with her!!

Once again, many thanks to the Richmond SPCA!!

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

September 09, 2014

We are extremely excited that 91 pets were adopted last week! We are so grateful to our amazing staff and volunteers for their wonderful help uniting these pets with new, loving families. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Adoption Specials

Back by popular demand! We know that everything is better with a best friend so we've extended our Take Two adoption special, which means you can adopt any two felines for one adoption fee this September. We can't wait to help you meet the perfect pets for your home.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently available at our humane center, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

September 05, 2014

Editor's note: We recently received this bittersweet update from Lucy's guardian, Matthew. The bond Matthew shared with his beloved Lucy over the past 13 years is very evident in his message and with his permission, we wanted to share as we know that so many of us can relate.

I just wanted to send you a note of thanks and appreciation for all of the work you do. If it weren't for you, my dog Lucy would have never come into my life. I adopted her the day after I performed my senior music recital at the University of Richmond. Lucy was with me for about 13.5 years, and moved with me from Richmond to Bowling Green, OH, then to Gainesville, FL, and finally to Columbus, GA where I am now a music professor.

I had to say goodbye to her this morning, last month we found bone cancer, and the tumor in her leg swelled up to a horrible size over the weekend. The x-rays showed the cancer had spread to her lungs, and I had to make the most difficult decision of my life.

She was the one constant thing in my life, through a lot of moving all over the country, going through three degree programs, and finally landing my first job. I know most people think that the Richmond SPCA takes care of animals, but maybe the most important thing you all do is bring happiness to people's lives, probably as much as you bring happiness to dogs and cats.

So, from the deepest part of my heart, thank you for all you do. I've been reading your website today and it's truly amazing that 88 pets were adopted last week -- I hope everyone gets to have as much joy and happiness as I did with Lucy.

I still have the photo of Lucy from 2001, from the Richmond SPCA's website -- here it is, alongside one that I took last month when she was diagnosed.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

September 02, 2014

We are extremely excited that 88 pets were adopted last week! We are so grateful to our amazing staff and volunteers for their wonderful help uniting these pets with new, loving families. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Adoption Specials

We're working hard to find them all homes and through this Friday, all adult dog adoption fees are reduced by 25 percent.

Back by popular demand! We know that everything is better with a best friend so we've extended our Take Two adoption special, which means you can adopt any two felines for one adoption fee this September. We can't wait to help you meet the perfect pets for your home.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently available at our humane center, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.